otherversefandomcom-20200215-history
OtherSpace: The Farthest Star: Combat
This combat system is used to resolve conflicts involving violence when a set source of arbitration is needed. Most of the time, a staff member will be called in to adjucate modifiers, guided by the examples set forth in this article. However, PCs can also serve as judges if they feel comfortable doing so. This information is meant to update and replace the information found in the +sinfo/+skills files on the MUSH itself. If there are any doubts about the current rules for combat, this is the place to check. How Attributes are Used In Combat Reaction: At the beginning of combat, judges (or players) use reaction rolls to determine who makes the first move. If the characters start on even ground, the modifier is 0. If one character has a distinct advantage or disadvantage, modifiers may be applied. Brawn: Brawn is used to determine the damage a combatant does while fighting unarmed or with melee weapons. It may also come into play in shoving matches and other contested actions, such as grappling, where brute force is a factor. Dexterity: Dexterity is typically not rolled in combat. However, it's the attribute tied to the majority of melee combat skills. For further explanation on how exactly the attribute/skill tie works, check out our page on the OS_Skill_System. Perception: Perception is typically not rolled in combat. Most skills relating to the use of ranged weapons are tied to it. Willpower: Willpower is typically not rolled in combat. Pain Resistance and Mental Discipline are both tied to Willpower; these skills allow one to keep fighting despite wounds, or to shrug off psionic attacks. Psi: Psi is typically not rolled in combat. All psionic powers are tied to Psi. Intelligence: Intelligence is not normally rolled in combat. Charisma: Charisma is not normally rolled in combat. Secondary Attributes Secondary attributes are those stats that are relevent in combat, but are not raised directly. They are determined by other variables. OS has two, representing offensive and defensive capablity- DDF for Defense, ODF for offense. Total DDF is determined by the native value of any armor a PC is wearing- nothing else factors in. Total ODF in melee is determined by a character's Brawn plus the native damage of any weapon being used. Every point of Brawn above Mediocre adds 1 extra ODF to the weapon's base damage. In ranged combat, total ODF is the native damage of the weapon in use, Brawn -not- factoring in. The Progression of Combat In general circumstances, a fight will start with requiring the involved characters to make reaction rolls. Most of these are at 0. However, if characters have a distinct advantage or disadvantage modifiers may be applied. Ties are rerolled between those who tied. The turn order for the combat scene is then considered to be the character with the highest reaction roll down to the character with the lowest reaction roll. The first character poses some sort of attack, afterward rolling to hit. The target of that attack rolls the relevant defense, and then poses the outcome as well as their own attack, should they choose to retaliate. Combat continues in this way until all characters have posed, at which case the round begins again with the first. Ranged Attacks Range weapons are fired, and, depending on their range from the target, have a modifier applied. These modifiers are different for each weapon, and the skill rolled depends on the nature of the weapon. Each weapon has a different set of range modifiers. Weapons with Rates of Fire (ROF) more than one: Any gun with an ROF of more than 1 can fire burst fire or single shots. When burst fire is involved, they must all be fired at the same target, and you need only roll once per round no matter how many shots you make. The target also only defends once. The result is simply applied against the target's armor as many times as the ROF; therefore a 10 damage gun with a 2 ROF hits like two 10-damage attacks. Weapons with an ROF of 3 or greater can also be used to lay down suppressive fire. Suppressive fire allows a shooter to target all individuals within 10 feet of each other and produce a continuous barrage of fire. This does not require the targets to dodge, but forces them to roll at -1 on all other rolls while under fire to simulate distraction. Rifles can carry on suppressive fire for three rounds before a one-round pause is needed for reloading; pistols can carry on suppressive fire for one round. OS considers five major ranged categories of ranged weapons. 1) Projectile pistols: These are your small guns that fire lead in the air, so to speak. Sample items that fall under this category are the Revolver and Flechette Pistol. Their ODF is typically 11-15. 2) Projectile rifle: These are larger guns that fire lead or other projectiles into the air. Rifles, shotguns, and the tangler gun fall into this category. Their ODF is typically 16-20. 3) Energy pistols: These are the small guns that fire energy based attacks into the air. The stun gun and the pulse pistols are examples of these. Guns of this type that fire both stun and lethal-damage attacks require one round to switch between the two modes. Their ODF is typically 10-14. 4) Energy rifles: The larger guns that fire energy. The pulse assault rifle and the RNS Mk7 Rifle are examples of these. Their ODF is typically 15-19. 5) Archaic ranged weapons: This group is for those ranged weapons that are derived from weapons that existed prior to the use of gunpowder. Bows are the major member of this group, but blow darts and slings could also fall into this group. Their ODF is typically 8-13. 6) Throwing: This skill covers, well, throwing. Not always a combat skill, but with items like throwing knives it can definately serve as one. Their ODF is typically 3-8. Combat Ranges Defined Ranged weapons give modifiers for specific ranges; these ranges are defined as: Close: 0-3 feet. Short: 4-20 feet. Medium: 21-100 feet. Long: 100-1000 feet. Extreme: 1000+ feet. Melee Attacks Melee combat skills are the skills that handle fights in close quarters. All melee combat skills roll at 0 against each other, excepting only situational modifiers or modifiers for damage already taken. Melee combat skills include Edged/Blunt Weapons, Knife Fighting and Unarmed Combat. These skills are, from a systems standpoint, largely differentiated by the ODF of the weapons you can use with them. Unarmed Combat can be used with small bare-handed weapons such as gloves that add from 1-5 ODF to your bare-handed damage, or bare-handed alone. Knife Fighting can be used with knives and daggers between 6-8 ODF. Blunt Weapons can be used with staves, nightsticks, stun sticks, clubs, etc between 11-15 ODF. Edged Weapons can be used with full-sized swords or polearms, ranging from 11-15 ODF. Alternative Attack Possibilities Sometimes an attacker may wish to incapacitate their opponent in some way other than inflicting lethal harm. There are several methods available for resolving such attacks. Disarming Disarming is much easier for a melee combatant than one at range. To disarm an opponent of any weapon, gun or melee, a character can roll any melee combat skill. The defender defends against the roll as usual based on the weapon they're wielding. If the defender fails the opposed defense roll, however, the two combatants both roll Brawn against each other. If the defender wins this roll, they keep hold of their weapon. If the attacker wins, the weapon is knocked away. If the attacker wins the attribute roll by 2 or more and is disarming bare-handed, they may choose to take the weapon themselves. Disarm attempts at range incur an extra -2 mod on top of the proper range modifier. If the attack hits, the shooter has scored a hit that knocks the gun out of the defender's hand. Grappling Grappling regards the use or escape of restraining holds applied in combat. It assumes one person attempting to restrain and control another. Initiating Both the attacker and the target must be unarmed. (It's pretty hard to get in grappling range with someone holding a weapon!) To initiate a hold, the attacking player must roll Unarmed against any appropriate defense skill. If this roll succeeds it does not deal out any damage, but rather allows that player to restrain the target. Failure obviously results in no hold being applied. Being Held The target can not move or perform any offensive rolls, except in an attempt to escape the hold. Holding While applying the hold, the attacking player may opt to 'drag' the target, or change the target's posture; pulling them to the ground, forcing them to their feet, etc. The attacking player can also inflict stun damage, and stun damage only. This is performed through a standard contested roll of Unarmed, to reflect options such as slamming your opponent around, smothering or choking them. Dodging may not be used to defend, reflecting the target's inability to move that freely. Escaping Once a round, the target may attempt to escape the grappling hold using a contested roll of Unarmed- or, if the target prefers, Brawn. Brawn, however, must be rolled at -1 by the target, reflecting their attempt to pit brute strength against both the strength and skill of the attacking player. If the targets succeeds, it is not only released from the hold but is able to deal an attack that round. If the attacking player attempts a stunning attack, and the target defends by a margin of +3 or greater, they are able to counter by escaping the hold. They also have the option of attempting an attack that round. Combat modifiers In addition to the standard modifiers listed above for various attacks, additional modifiers may be applied to a situation. Listed below are some examples of tactics with defined modifiers. Judges should feel free to use different modifiers if both parties agree, however, based off the RP of the combatants. Dual Wield Dual wielding is the act of using two weapons at once, most often guns. However, since this has a detrimental effect on accuracy, the first weapon is rolled at a -2 modifier, while the second is at a -3 modifier. Melee weapons of weight 3 or lower can be dual wielded with the first weapon at -1 and the second at -2. If players merely want the cinematic effects of dual wield, they may roll 1 attack per round with no penalties and simply pose dual-wielding. However, please keep in mind that only strong characters can likely dual-wield two full-sized weapons. Movement Movement is a part of combat: Ducking, dodging, positioning. Those are included as part of the skills. However, substantial movement, as in changing firing location and trying to attack, incurs penalties as well. Walking and firing a gun, for instance, is a -1 penalty. Running while trying to fire that same gun is at -2. Cover To hit someone behind cover, your attack is rolled at a -1. The player under cover suffers no penalty to attack or defense, making cover a worthwhile defense for any combatant. If a player wishes to assume total cover, entirely hiding behind an object, any roll to hit them is at -4, but their own rolls to hit are also at -4 for limited visibility. Blind Shooting blind with only a minimal idea as to a target's location incurs a -6 penalty. Surprise Catching your opponents by surprise is a viable combat tactic. There are two forms of surprise, total or partial. Total surprise involves a completely unaware target who doesn't even have a chance at an Observation roll. Individuals who roll at least a Mediocre on Danger Sense cannot be caught totally unawares. Partial surprise involves a target who fails an Observation or Danger Sense roll- the target has some idea that someone is around, simply not where. A defender caught by total surprise rolls defense at -2. A defender caught by partial surprise rolls defense at -1. Both individuals forfeit the Reaction roll to attack first. Defending A defender can defend melee attacks with either Dodging or a melee combat skill, to represent parrying or blocking the attack. Against ranged attacks, only Dodging can be used. Multiple instances of defending after the first attack in a round suffer a cumulative -1 penalty. Thus, the second defense in a round suffers -1, while the third suffers -2, and so on. These negative defense modifiers may be negated by forgoing an attack for the round and assuming a 'full defense' like position. If someone defends a melee attack with three or more levels of success above the attacker, they may take a 'free action' counterattack at their normal modifiers. This does not negate a full defense position. In the case of ranged attacks with multiple attacks in a round, such as assault weapons, there is no penalty for dodging each salvo at once. However, if a second salvo is fired in a round, the dodge penalties would be at -1. The third salvo at -2. The attacks from multiple attack weapons do not incur penalties for each multiple shot burst. If a weapon has three attacks a round, all three attacks may be made without additional penalty for quantity of attacks. Damage Damage is calculated based on the DDF of the defender and the ODF of the attacker. The basic formula is: ODF + Roll Difference - DDF = Damage For example, a 15 ODF gun hitting by 2 (A Superb Energy Rifle roll versus a Good Dodging, for example) inflicts 17 damage. If the target has flak armor with a DDF of 10, the final damage would be 7. Otherspace uses a system of hitboxes to simulate more intense wounds versus more superficial injuries. The number of hitboxes an individual has is based on their Brawn. Different levels of damage correspond to different wound intensities. 1-6: Scratch 7-12: Hurt (characters who have at least one Hurt-level wound take a -1 to all rolls) 13-18: Very Hurt (-2 to all rolls) 19-24: Incap (unconscious; non-functioning, but stable) 25-30+: Near Death (unconscious, requiring emergency treatment for survival- for NPCs, this often means dead) So that 7 damage would translate to a Hurt-level wound, giving the attacked player a -1 to all rolls. If a character fills up all boxes of a certain damage but takes another wound of that same damage level, the wound is promoted to the next damage level. For example, an individual with 3 Scratch hitboxes and 2 hurts who already had 3 scratches would, on receiving his fourth scratch, move up to Hurt instead. Stun Damage Certain weapons can inflict stunning damage. Stun damage knocks an individual unconscious after they have incurred 2 hurt-level wounds or 1 very hurt-level wound. The unconsciousness typically lasts for about 5-15 minutes, but duration can be altered as best fits the scene if all players agree. The most common stun weaponry is guns or stunsticks, items designed specifically for the purpose. However, combatants can stun their opponents with anything blunt that provides a good whacking surface, including Impromptu Weapons. Judges may use their own discretion as to what is a sufficient weapon for stunning. Category: OtherSpace: The Farthest Star: Newbies